Fire
by President Luthor
Summary: After Bruce Wayne's near-assassination in July, the media is in a frenzy. The spotlight shifts towards Lex and Clark -- with explosive results. Sequel to 'Mr. Kent goes to Gotham'
1. CH. 1

"Fire"  
  
BACKGROUND: The tale follows the events of 'Mr. Kent goes to Gotham'. It's August. Chloe is working as an intern at the Daily Planet. Maybe she should have stayed in Smallville because a big story is about to break in this small town. The spotlight now shifts to Clark and risks exposing his -- so far -- private life. Whatever story is fit to print, it threatens to destroy Lex and Clark. Plus, Chloe can't keep an eye on Lana and her friendship with Clark. It promises to be a hot summer in Smallville.  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Summer Gleeson, GCTV's crime reporter, turned up the air conditioning in her neon green Ford Focus. Her long red hair fluttered as the blast of cold air swept around her. She was assigned to uncover more about the mysterious Kansas farmboy who saved Bruce's life. Three hours to go.  
  
She protested to her assignment editor yesterday. The story is in Gotham. The two recent attempts on Bruce Wayne's life involved a hidden agenda. She could sense it. Shady links to the Kosovo crisis. Revelations of a numbered Swiss bank account, transfers to a hotel in the Cayman Islands. Why was she being sent to Smallville? Clark Kent was in the right place at the right time. Mere coincidence. There might be something juicier about Lex's connection to Bruce, but she doubted it.  
  
As for her connection to Bruce, that was not for public consumption. She switched on the radio. "Here's Nickelback and 'How You Remind Me' on Rock 97.7"  
  
She met Bruce when he visited Ground Zero in NYC in November. She admits now that she used her press credentials to get up close to the most eligible bachelor in America. It was a whirlwind – but secret – romance. Trips to Martha's Vineyards. Weekends eating ice cream in Wayne Manor. Despite the attention, he never REALLY let her get close.  
  
"I've been wrong, I've been down ... to the bottom of every bottle..." the radio wailed.  
  
She began prying about his family. My mistake, she realized, I knew that would be icy territory. He made some vague comments about 'setting things right'. Then two months ago, a public spat at the Gotham Symphony. A bad move since all the society hacks were there. They became hot tabloid fodder for weeks. Even her high school cheerleading photo surfaced. They had coffee a few times after. Bruce finally ended it a week later. "I can't get close. Not now." His butler Alfred returned the rest of her things only last week.  
  
"I'm sorry, Ms. Gleeson. About Bruce. I rather hoped you were 'the one'." "I thought I was 'the one', too," Summer had lamented.  
  
"It's not like you to say sorry ...." the radio wailed.  
  
The last time she talked to Bruce, the break-up on Gotham Harbor Pier 7, he just looked away into the sunset when she pleaded with him to work things out. Then he left. No hug. Nothing.  
  
I'm hurting too, Bruce. Summer wiped her eyes and put on her sunglasses. I've got work to do.  
  
"... are we havin' fun yet ..." the radio wailed again. 


	2. CH. 2

Chapter 2  
  
Clark heaved the bales of hay onto the flatbed truck. The cows will be needing them, since weeks of dry weather turned the pasture into an ugly shade of beige. He looked across the Kent farm. He loved Smallville: the sense of community, neighbors helping neighbors. He saw his dad repairing the steps to the farmhouse. One day he will have to tell him that he's leaving Smallville.  
  
Clark loved to write. To work as a writer, he would need to move out of the state. He asked the guidance counsellor for brochures from some of excellent journalism schools in the country. Columbia. Stanford. Gotham State. University of Metropolis.  
  
Chloe was well on her way to achieving her dream. She sent several emails a week describing the gruelling night shift at the Daily Planet. As an intern, she got all the crappy, graveyard shift jobs no one wanted. Answering phones. Photocopying. Sorting letters to the editor. She phoned him when she FINALLY got a chance to do some actual journalism work. Of course it was research for a story on Luthor Corp. 'With files from Chloe Sullivan,' it said in the article. A small step on the road to likely a great career.  
  
I'll have my turn soon enough, he told himself. He had leads of his own. Bruce Wayne - Gotham City's leading citizen, philanthropist and alleged ladies man – provided Clark with some freelance work. Editing speeches, press releases, etc. on behalf of Wayne Corp. The work had fizzled out by the 1st of August. He hadn't heard from Bruce in over a week. Clark could sense that something was going on. He's probably worried about work or those renovations to his basement, Clark thought. He tossed the bales of hay and stopped again to look across the farmlands.  
  
A bright neon green car came around the concession road and stopped on the dirt road a few feet from the field. The door opened, revealing a tall, stunning woman – probably 23 or 24 – with flaming red hair.  
  
"Hi," the woman asked, "Is there a motel or a bed and breakfast spot around here?"  
  
"There's a Red Roof inn about 10 miles south of here and a Holiday Inn in Smallville." Then Clark remembered her. She had shoved a microphone in Chloe's face just after the foiled attempt on Bruce's life in July.  
  
"You're THE Summer Gleeson. GCTV crime reporter!" He exclaimed. Uh-oh. She probably wants dirt on Lex. Or me, the 'farmboy' who jumped into the bullet's path, narrowly escaping injury. Clark still kept the shattered bullet casing as a reminder of his Gotham adventures.  
  
Summer eyed the farmhand and also recognized him. "Clark Kent. The farmboy who stared danger in the eye and risked his life for Bruce Wayne. You're just the person I was looking for."  
  
Great, Clark lamented, the last thing I want is to become the lead story on the six o'clock news.  
  
[Lex's estate]  
  
Lex received a call from Metropolis. It was one of the family's attorneys.  
  
"The Daily Planet is probing the money trail? I don't see how that affects us. Well, yes, we do have a branch office in the Ukraine, but ... Russian mob? Not surprised on that front. Bruce has ruffled a few feathers with his hostility towards the illegal arms trade."  
  
Lex was clearly getting bored with all the legal claptrap. God, I hate lawyers, he thought. A necessary evil. Someone has to watch his corporate butt.  
  
Then his jaw dropped. "GCTV is sending someone here? They're here already?? What do you mean you only knew until this morning!?!" He abruptly hung up the phone.  
  
It's Father. Lionel Luthor had taken charge of the company's eastern European contracts. Lex didn't dispute his dad's involvement in the arms trade. Everything has a price, Lionel told his son, we as businessmen have the power to set that price and profit from it. What Lex despised was the quality of the so-called trading partners his father met in that region. You're judged by the company you keep and Father's company of late lacked the finesse and prestige Lex preferred in his partners.  
  
Now his father's wavering character judgment was starting to bleed into Luthor's Corp's operations. He remembered the frenzied media mobbing Bruce, Clark and Chloe during the assassination attempt in July.  
  
Those muckrackers may get away with that in Gotham, but I won't have it here in Smallville. Father may not care how his actions affect Lex in this sleepy town, but Lex DID care.  
  
Lex made another call. "GCTV is an affiliate of a Big Three network, correct? Get the network's chairman on the line. I want to be ready in the event we have to run with the ball on a libel suit."  
  
This isn't Gotham, Lex told himself, I pull the strings around here. 


	3. CH. 3

Chapter 3  
  
[Smallville business district]  
  
Lex reviewed the architectural designs for the Langs' new store. He rather liked the idea of restoring the town square to its original splendour. He saw Lana talking on her cell to her aunt. Something about the lease. Lana had tied her hair up into a ponytail and was also filling out inventory forms. This business partnership could be promising. The tax deductions from the restoration alone were an excellent incentive. Not to mention Lana's company.  
  
"Lemme just run off to the bank for a deposit, and we can go over the architect's suggestions." Lana swept out the door. She spotted the silver newspaper box of the Daily Planet. "Hmm, maybe Chloe has a byline." She looked at the headline and gasped. WAYNE WOULD-BE ASSASSIN LINKED TO RUSSIAN ARMS DEALER. MONEY TRAIL LEADS TO LUTHOR PARTNER.  
  
She ran back into the half-completed store. "Did you ...," she started.  
  
"... know about it?" Lex completed her sentence. "Our man on the Planet's board of directors gave us the heads-up as the morning edition shipped out. Dad is on the media circuit issuing denials, despite my advice to the contrary. Knowing when to keep one's mouth shut is, I regret, a lost art to Luthor Sr."  
  
"Aren't you worried about those arms dealers. They sound like a shady bunch."  
  
"Yes, well, Father unfortunately made some questionable friends when he visited eastern Europe a few years ago." He is a fool, Lex concluded. His dad only saw dollar signs, ignoring the real chance those former Soviet generals may have underworld connections. "If you will excuse me, Ms. Lang, I'll have to review those plans another time." He hopped into his Porsche and zipped out of town.  
  
I hope Lex has nothing to do with this, Lana worried. The Luthor name cast a wide shadow. The family was a famous for its ruthlessness - strike- breaking, mass layoffs - as the Wayne family was known for its sense of civic duty. Lana shook her head. "Sins of the father," she murmured as she read the article that could dethrone the Luthors.  
  
[The Kent farm]  
  
Jonathan Kent wondered what was taking his son so long. He spurred on his horse and trotted towards the flatbed truck. He saw his only son chatting with big-city reporter Summer Gleeson. His guard was up now. Let him be, Jonathan hoped, he's only in high school.  
  
Clark waved him over. "Dad! I'd like you to meet Summer Gleeson, GCTV."  
  
Jonathan warily extended his hand. "Jonathan Kent. Is there something we can help you with?"  
  
Darn, Summer thought, I was hoping not to deal with any parental complications.  
  
"I was just going into town to find a place to stay. You see, I'm following up on the Bruce Wayne incident last month ..."  
  
"...and my son's involvement." Jonathan didn't like this at all. He watched the media frenzy unfold in Gotham. Now they're prying into Clark's life. He had worked his whole life to shield his son from such attention.  
  
"Clark will show you into town, but I'm afraid if you any further questions, you talk to me or his mother." Clark thought about objecting, but one glance from his dad and he dropped the idea.  
  
"I think Clark doesn't mind helping me fill in the blanks. Bruce Wayne is a public figure and I believe Clark can shed some light on the attempted assassinations."  
  
"Clark is a Smallville high school student. Look, Clark gave a sworn statement to GCPD. All you need to know is in their briefings."  
  
Summer knew when to back off. After the events of the past month, who can blame Mr. Kent for his skepticism? "Fair enough. Clark can show me the way into town, but I may be back with some questions for you later."  
  
Clark hopped into his truck and drove up to the road. Jonathan Kent waved to them, then mounted his horse. He rode off. I need to clear my mind. Clark was becoming a man, but to his parents he would always be the defenceless baby boy who fell from the sky. A blessing from the heavens. He would allow nothing - not the Luthors, not the voracious media - to harm his son.  
  
Martha Kent saw her husband galloping across the fields. "Something's going on." 


	4. CH. 4

Chapter 4  
  
"This is Smallville's main street," Clark said. Summer took off her sunglasses and looked around.  
  
"Not what I expected," she replied. Where are the saloons?  
  
Clark rolled his eyes. "Sorry. I'm afraid Wyatt Earp never rode into THIS town."  
  
Summer noticed the town square. It appeared that there were on-going renovations. 'This heritage preservation project is funded by LL Construction, a division of Luthor Corp.'  
  
Why would Luthor Corp., one of the largest corporate empires in the world, set up shop in a place like Smallville, she wondered.  
  
"You're friends with Lex Luthor?" she asked.  
  
"Uhhhhh, yeah. But not like ..."  
  
"You and Bruce?"  
  
You're on shaky ground, Clark told himself. Watch it. "I'm good friends with both of them."  
  
"Lex manages a plant around here, I take it."  
  
"Just outside the city limits. Why?"  
  
"You've heard about the money trail that leads to the Luthors?" Summer nodded her head towards the Daily Planet newspaper box.  
  
This doesn't sound good at all, Clark feared. "Umm, yes I have. But I think Luthor Sr. handles most of their international affairs."  
  
"That may be," she answered, "but, in my experience, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." She looked at her watch. "I'm going to check into the hotel. See you at the farmhouse tomorrow?" She hopped into her car and zoomed off.  
  
"Sure thing." He understood Summer was just doing her job, but why did it have to involve him? Yes, there were some vague links between the foiled Wayne assassin and a Luthor partner in Europe, but what does that have to do with Smallville? Lex. He wanted to believe otherwise.  
  
I'd better head back to the farmhouse now, he decided.  
  
"Who's the red-headed babe?"  
  
Clark turned around. Lana Lang in jeans. I'll get to the farmhouse – later.  
  
[Daily Planet offices, Metropolis, early morning]  
  
Chloe checked the clock. 2 AM. "Look up any archived articles on Luthor Corp. Not the society crap, strictly business." Orders from the night editor. She continued to scan CD-ROM after CD-ROM. 'Luthor lays off 5,000 employees' 'Luthor Corp. acquires aerospace firm.' 'Luthor stocks soar after tech merger'  
  
Chloe's eyes glazed over. "Wall Street is soo boring. All mergers this, stocks that."  
  
She checked her email.  
  
A message from Clark: "... bought a new tractor. It could improve our output next harvest. Bruce says hi."  
  
Chloe remembered the dizzying events of Gotham City. So many unanswered questions. I wonder if Bruce is ok.  
  
A message from Lex. "I'll be in town in a week. We'll do lunch." As if I needed more headaches, she chuckled.  
  
And a message from Lana: "Metropolis must be soooo awesome! ...... store renovations ...... Clark helping with lumber ..... Clark doing work for Bruce – nice work if you can get it ...... Clark and I had coffee ..... needs a sympathetic ear ....... don't worry, I'll keep an eye on him. Hugs, Lana." But who'll keep an eye on you, Lana, Chloe snickered.  
  
Clark. Still coping with the baggage of Gotham. God, he's been shot at. Twice. Needs a sympathetic ear? I should be that ear. My ear should be in Smallville, having coffee with Clark Kent. 'I'm there for you, Clark,' Thanks, Chloe, thanks for being there. Being there often leads to always being there. 'You've made my life complete, Chloe.' Dinner at the Kent farmhouse. 'Will you marry me, Chloe Sullivan?' Bruce lending his private jet for the honeymoon. 'Chloe, I've waited for this moment forever ..."  
  
She woke up. The headline said, 'Luthor opens plant in Smallville. Son to manage.' "Oooo, that look's interesting," she said. You're in the Daily Planet. Less Kent, more Luthor. She gave one last glance at Clark's email: "... not the same without you around ..."  
  
Darn right it's not the same. This fall, everything changes. She switched on the radio. It's Blondie.  
  
'One way or another I'm gonna find ya, I'm gonna getcha, getcha, getcha, getcha ....."  
  
"Clark Kent," she scrolled the mouse to the Smallville article, "look out!" 


	5. CH. 5

Chapter 5  
  
Summer Gleeson pulled into the driveway of the Luthor Estate.  
  
"Shall I tell her you're 'indisposed' at the moment?" Lex's executive assistant asked.  
  
"No, please let her in." Lex detested the media. Hiding behind the freedom of expression to invade, dissect and destroy the very citizens they profess to defend. He remembered how Bruce Wayne's family was dragged through the mud in the months after the Wayne Murders. The court's foiled attempt –thank god- to make Bruce a ward of the state and Alfred winning custody. Bruce took years to restore his family's reputation.  
  
The Luthor name will not be soiled like that. Not while I'm breathing.  
  
"What? No cameras, Ms. Gleeson? Don't you want to absorb the elitist atmosphere of Metropolis' first family?" Lex remarked.  
  
"I'm here to determine if there is a story worth covering here," Summer shot back, "I'll send for the Live Eye truck if I need to."  
  
Lex shuddered at the thought. He recalled the media circus last month in Gotham. "There's nothing to report here. Just a typical middle America town and my bare-bones plant. I'm only here for the lower taxes."  
  
Summer scoffed at his humility. "I have reason to believe the Wayne incident in Gotham and Luthor Corp. have much in common. GCTV was hoping to get the scoop for tonight but the Planet beat us to it."  
  
"While I abhor the fact they're poking around Father's business, I respect their right to keep the public informed. If there are underworld links to some of my father's holdings, better to shed some light on them now than let them fester. The Daily Planet is doing its job."  
  
"Is that Lex, private citizen, speaking, or Lex, the Planet shareholder?"  
  
Ouch. Nice sting, Summer. "GCTV is the Fox News of American journalism. I wonder if your audience even respects anything you say. Especially after your torrid affair with Bruce Wayne."  
  
Summer shot back. "Leave Bruce out of this. He's not the one whose family may have funded the very gunmen who tried to kill Wayne. Twice."  
  
Be careful, Ms. Gleeson, Lex thought. "Those are unsubstantiated allegations. Unlike allegations from Gotham society hacks that you're just a gold-digger after Wayne's billions. Weren't you caught on film cavorting with him in Atlantic City."  
  
"Stop it..." Summer's emotional wounds were still raw. She remembered how mad Bruce was – at himself – for risking that stroll on the boardwalk. Only to see it splattered on the Gotham Gossip Revue next morning. That ended their weekend excursions out of town. She thought he was ashamed of their affair, when he was actually all too aware of the impact of media exposure. That's what led to the now infamous Gotham Symphony spat. He was protecting her. And yes, himself. Can I blame him?  
  
Lex saw her eyes, like a deer in headlights. So much for her tough exterior. Now for the kill.  
  
"Summer, you met him in NYC right? Covering Ground Zero, you say? Hmm, I wonder. Coincidence?" She was taller than him, but he stepped right up to her. "Or was it all planned. A silly little game. I'll bag me a billionnaire. The whole Cinderella claptrap. You wanted that life. The way I see it, you used him for your fun. Perhaps cash in on the relationship, jump to a national network? You KNEW his family past and tugged at his strings just enough to lead him on. Good thing he saw you for what you were ..."  
  
Her eyes were watering now.  
  
"You were just a notch on the bedpost. Bruce is sole heir to one the most influential dynasties in America. Wise of him to drop you before you really did damage to his reputation. Time is money, and frankly, my dear, you're not worth a dime of his time."  
  
She gathered her things quickly and stormed out. Lex, you bastard! she thought. Bruce is not shallow like that. She remembered Bruce within an inch of punching out a tabloid photographer at that Gotham Symphony incident, before his butler stepped in. He wasn't selfish. He was shielding her. He never said it, but their relationship was important to him. He risked the scorn of the society papers to give her a night out on the town. He was fighting for our relationship, knowing it was slipping away.  
  
Then the public spat. She knew now that they effectively ceased to be "an item" that day once Bruce realized he could never preserve the innocence of their relationship under the glare of the voracious media. God, they even made Entertainment Tonight the following night. Maybe we were both naive.  
  
She wiped her mascara-smeared eyes again. It's not over Luthor, she muttered, I know I'm on to something. Her car screeched out of the Luthor estate.  
  
"I take it the interview is over?" Lex hollered in the distance. He looked behind his desk at the boxes full of files flown in by chopper from Luthor Corp.'s archives department only this morning.  
  
Summer Gleeson was mere feet from information that could make Enron look like small claims court. Father's supposed transactions with the Russian underworld, questionable arms contracts with parties unknown, all of it – buried in these boxes. He had to find them. Make them disappear.  
  
He picked up his cell. "Cancel my video conference with the shareholders. I have important matters to attend to." Yeah, important. The future of the Luthor empire is at stake. While his dad was wasting time pleading innocent to the unsympathetic media, Lex would save the family legacy. Again.  
  
[Daily Planet offices, Metropolis, 4 AM]  
  
Chloe had gathered several articles related to Luthor Corp.'s Smallville affairs "Luthor manufacturing division doubles output since Kansas move" "LL Tech transfers administration to Smallville" "Aeronautical technology made in USA, boosting Kansas employment rates" "LL Tech wins German fighter jet contract" She was seeing a pattern. It was common knowledge Luthor Corp. invested heavily in military technology, but – at least in public – the company only made contracts with NATO countries. "Luthor stock doubles after British Navy contract" The potential for unimaginable profits was there.  
  
Then Lionel Luthor visited eastern Europe months before the West entered the Kosovo fray. The following summer, Lex announced an expansion of the Smallville plant. Supposedly aerospace parts. Maybe Luthor was playing both sides of the Kosovo crisis. Who better than the mob to ensure delivery of goods under the noses of NATO commanders?  
  
If that were the case, it would be tantamount to treason. Luthor Corp. would be buried.  
  
"There's no proof," Chloe wondered.  
  
The night editor dashed into Chloe's cubicle. "Gather whatever articles you have. We're going to print this morning!!"  
  
"What's going on?" Chloe saw the editorial room explode in organized chaos.  
  
"The feds just raided Luthor Corp. And it seems some files are missing,"  
  
Smallville will surely be next on the feds' hit list, Chloe thought. 


	6. CH. 6

Chapter 6  
  
[Smallville's main street]  
  
"Who? That was Summer Gleeson, crime reporter from Gotham City. Following up on the Wayne incident last month." The sooner she's out of town, the better, Clark thought  
  
"Do you think the Luthors have anything to do with this? The Planet seems to think so."  
  
Clark didn't want to believe that Lex was involved. His father, though, has a long-standing feud with the Waynes. "It may be a case of guilt by association. I don't think Luthor Corp. had anything to do with it."  
  
"Still," Lana pondered, "there's a lot of money to be made in arms dealing. Do the Luthors know when to draw the line?"  
  
She feared that Clark's friendship with Lex may catch him in the crosshairs of a brewing blood feud. Not to mention the scarier Russian mob angle.  
  
Clark checked the town clock tower. "It's almost feeding time. The cows don't like to wait and get cranky."  
  
He waved bye and dashed off.  
  
"Umm, ok. Take care, Clark!" Between Clark's friendship with Bruce Wayne and with Lex, it seemed to Lana that Clark was getting in way over his head.  
  
[Luthor estate]  
  
Lex yelled at his cell. "I don't care! I want my attorneys here within the hour!! And call my lawyer in New York. I want all bases covered: the network, everything. We stop the bloodletting now!"  
  
He glanced at the boxes of incriminating files. These should have been shredded a long time ago, yet they were left to haunt the Luthors. He switched on CNN.  
  
"There are reports that the FBI and Treasury department agents have raided Luthor Corp Towers in Metropolis early this morning to seize documents relating to the Wayne attempted assassination last month."  
  
Damn, Lex thought, this could – should – have been avoided. He pocketed one file, then carried the last of the boxes out of his office. They would be destroyed. Now.  
  
Lex looked around anxiously in the driveway. He was nervous about the documents. He knew the FBI had a field office in Wichita. Agents could be here by noon. That wasn't worrying him as much as the box of military-grade explosives in the back of his car. He told his father that making such weapons just isn't good business in the heartland of America. They should have been made in, say, Virginia or Maryland – near a sympathetic military community. But he didn't listen. Now they could pay the price.  
  
He remembered an old shed in a densely wooded area south of Smallville. Remnants of some long-forgotten Confederate camp. I'll go there, blow up the shed and be rid of these files. When he turned on the ignition, the radio was on: ".........goin' down ......... in a blaze of glory!!"  
  
"Shut up, Bon Jovi," Luthor ordered and switched the station.  
  
"... FBI agents seized documents relating to Luthor Corp.'s military contracts ... Luthor lawyers insist they are co-operating ..."  
  
"I don't have much time," Lex told himself. He thought he heard ticking. My watch needs a new battery. He raced out of the estate, hoping to avert the collapse of the Luthor empire.  
  
[Kent farmhouse]  
  
Clark pulled into the garage. Summer's neon green Ford was already there.  
  
His parents and Summer rushed outside. His mother hugged him.  
  
"Did you hear, Clark? The FBI raided Luthor Corp. early this morning!"  
  
Clark stared in bewilderment. He ran into the living room. On the TV was a Special Report from ABC: 'From what we can gather, the Attorney General's office has ordered the seizure of files, computers and related materials. Luthor attorneys are pursuing an injunction .....'  
  
"There's something else," Summer added, "some files are missing."  
  
No! Clark insisted, Lex couldn't be involved in this. Lionel Luthor ... maybe ... but not Lex. If Lex had those files ... the friendship they had developed over the past year would crumble to dust.  
  
"I want to hear it from his face!" Clark ran to his truck.  
  
"Clark!" Jonathan Kent yelled, "I know he's your friend, but ... if the feds don't find what they want in Metropolis, their next stop is Smallville. I don't ..."  
  
Clark didn't hear the rest. His mind was racing. He switched on the radio: "...our correspondent in Wichita confirms that a convoy of unmarked vans, along with state troopers, left the FBI field office this morning. We can only guess that they'll be paying a visit to son Lex in Smallville ..."  
  
Summer jumped into her car and followed Clark. Her instincts told her that she was on the tip of a very BIG story. If the Luthor empire was about to fall, she wanted to be its herald.  
  
Jonathan and Martha Kent could only look as Clark raced headlong into the unknown.  
  
[Grasslands surrounding Smallville]  
  
Alexei spurred on his horse. He was paid handsomely for his services. He would be paid well again – if he could achieve his objective. He could have left the town and be overseas by dinner, but he wanted to personally see the results of his handiwork. "Soon, mother, you shall be avenged." He watched the state highway for his prey, who was oblivious to what would pass ... 


	7. CH. 7 of 8

Chapter 7  
  
[Daily Planet offices, 10 AM]  
  
The Daily Planet was at its best. Perry White presided over the chaos like a general. "I want a reporter and photographer in Gotham for local reaction. We'll have to rely on AP for the Washington angle. Get me GCTV's assignment editor. Maybe we can tag team on the Lex developments." He remembered that he had an excellent source underneath his nose.  
  
"Chloe. Now's your time to shine!"  
  
Ohmigod, ohmigod! she thought. A Daily Planet byline. Then a full-time offer after college. 'I'd like to thank my colleagues for this Pulitzer .....' She woke up from her dreaming to realize that the Daily Planet was sending someone. But not her.  
  
"We need you to work on something here, y'know, a timeline of Luthor Corp.'s military contracts, etc. It has to go to press by this afternoon." Perry White left to answer his cellphone. "Do NOT leave Luthor Corp. Towers until you get something from Lionel Luthor!"  
  
While the Planet's business reporter left to cover the story of his career, Chloe was left to connect the dots on some timeline. A timeline that lead directly to Smallville AND Lex Luthor. She had emailed Clark early this morning, but he hadn't responded.  
  
She had new mail from Lana Lang: "Clark is doing fine ... Summer Gleeson is following up on Wayne incident ... I'm worried about Clark biting off more than he can chew."  
  
Oh, I wish I was there, she grumbled. To see all the fuss in Smallville. And perhaps run a little interference on the potential Clark-Lana snuggle- fest.  
  
[Outskirts of Smallville]  
  
Lex finally entered the state highway. It ran along a wooded area. The ticking was driving him crazy. My watch never acted like that before. It was Swiss, after all. He would reach the ruins in minutes. He was a student of history, but Smallville was a minor footnote in American history. One tiny skirmish between the rebels and Union forces in the Civil War. No O.K Corral. But the remains of the old Confederate camp lay dormant.  
  
"It'll see fireworks soon enough," Lex chuckled. He had to laugh. His family's empire, his career, his life – all on the verge of oblivion. One explosion will wipe the stain clean. No problematic arms contracts. No more fishy underworld trading. A ball of fire will purify the family name. He kept one file for himself however. One file that someday will seal his destiny forever. The camp is just around the next bend. Freedom.  
  
In the wooded area beside the highway, Alexei peered at Lex's car through his binoculars. Lex's car would have to slow down to round the bend in the road. Alexei smiled.  
  
Lex shifted the gear down to round the curb. 80 mph, 70 mph, 60 mph, 55 mph ..... That ticking. What the hell is it! 52 mph, 51 mph ..... 50 mph. Click!  
  
"No, no .... oh shit!" The car exploded. He had no seatbelt and was flung through the windshield, thrown about 30 feet, and finally landed on the grassy shoulder. The pain was unbearable. He could not feel his legs. He glanced at his car. The flames hadn't reached the trunk yet. Where the explosives were. The car was sabotaged. It didn't matter now. The evidence that could destroy his family was now ash and smoke.  
  
"I ... did my duty, Father," he gasped, then fell unconscious.  
  
Clark saw the explosion and halted his truck a few feet away. The smoke enveloped the highway. He focused his x-ray vision. One man. Barely alive. Then he noticed another heat source in the trunk. A box of explosives! He had to get the man out of there. Summer's car was closing in.  
  
It was Lex! He leaped about 40 feet to Lex's body and carried him behind a grove a trees. Summer had already pulled her car off to the side and ducked into a ditch. Then the second explosion came. It was much bigger than the first one. Shrapnel burst everywhere, flames consumed what was left of the car. A wave of intense heat swept over them. Clark sheltered Lex' body as more debris rained on them. Patches of grassland were set ablaze around them.  
  
In the distance, Alexei grinned. He's finished. I have done my job. The son is no more. Lionel will live with the knowledge that his bloodline has been wiped from this earth. He had planned to kill Lionel, but this ... THIS was far more satisfying. As sirens wailed in the distance, Alexei galloped away. His flight to Istanbul departs Metropolis International tonight.  
  
[NEXT: Chapter 8, the finale to 'Fire'.] 


	8. Ch. 8 of 8

Chapter 8 – Finale  
  
Summer coughed. Smoke was everywhere. Dozens of unmarked vans, sedans and about a dozen state cruisers surrounded what was left of Lex Luthor's car. She noticed an air ambulance descend nearby. Is Lex still alive. The FBI's lead agent said some sort of explosive device must have been triggered. Maybe a timer activated by the ignition. Details were still sketchy. She spotted GCTV's Live Eye satellite truck. She was covered in soot and her hair was all over the place. She had to focus. She called over the cameraman and seized the microphone.  
  
"This is Summer Gleeson, GCTV News. We are now at the site of what appears to be an attempt on the life of Lex Luthor, heir to the Luthor family. FBI agents have confirmed that an explosive device was responsible. I understand that Luthor, the son, has been taken via chopper to Metropolis General. He is in critical condition. Clark Kent, the mild-mannered farm hand who saved Bruce Wayne's life only last month is now credited with shielding Lex from the force of the explosion ..."  
  
"Keep going," her field editor ordered, "you've just been picked up by the national network."  
  
Lex woke up. I must be in a helicopter. "His blood pressure is stabilizing." He felt a neck brace around him. "Hang in there Lex." Was that Clark? The -whirr- of the copter lulled him to sleep. He awoke again. Bright lights. A surgeon's table. "He has a punctured lung, broken ribs ..." A nurse placed an oxygen mask on him. What's going on? His eyelids drooped. Then nothing.  
  
"Lex? Lex ..." He squinted. A silhouette. Focus. Clark. My friend.  
  
"This better be a private room," Lex coughed. Clark chuckled, but Lex wasn't joking.  
  
Clark continued. "Your attorneys took care of everything. Your own room, personal physicians ..."  
  
"The best that money can buy." It was Chloe, who actually looked worried. Lex saw someone else enter the room. Clark and Chloe looked at each other and exited the room.  
  
"Father?" Lex hoped. The tall figure hovered over him. It was Bruce Wayne.  
  
"I'm afraid your father is mid-flight over the Alps. I've told my people to contact him when he lands in Geneva."  
  
Lex felt a twinge of guilt. He was on that highway racing to destroy any link between the Luthors and the failed hit on Bruce. There was no way of knowing if Father truly had a part in the plot, but the explosion guaranteed that the Luthor name remained untouched. Now Bruce was making sure he was alright. How ironic.  
  
"The feds say someone tampered with your car's ignition. I'd suggest you stick to armour-plated limousines for the time being." Bruce patted Lex's shoulder and left. Clark and Chloe were waiting outside.  
  
"I can't believe you're even here?!" Chloe exclaimed. "The Luthors may have had something to do with those gunmen in Gotham!"  
  
"Everything is circumstantial. I don't dwell on –what-ifs –." Bruce declared. Luthor's army of lawyers managed to get the injunction against the FBI's document seizures. The government is appealing, but for now, Luthor Corp. can't be implicated.  
  
"But what if things turned out differently?" Clark asked.  
  
Bruce looked at him. "My people in Switzerland were instructed to have Lionel's jet grounded in Geneva. Mr. Luthor would have been a guest of the Swiss authorities. Within the hour, I would have initiated a billion-dollar lawsuit designed to cripple Luthor Corp., its partners and associates. I hope the media reports turn out to be baseless rumours."  
  
Bruce said his goodbyes and left to manage the fallout in Gotham City.  
  
"How are you holding up?" Chloe put a comforting arm around Clark.  
  
"The last few months have been – interesting," Clark replied. I'd rather not get into the whirlwind of emotions I've gone through since that fateful trip to Gotham City.  
  
He's closing up again, Chloe thought. Why does he do that: shut me out whenever I try to get close? God, he's just like Bruce Wayne sometimes.  
  
"I'll get you a coffee?" Chloe got up.  
  
Clark was now alone. But not for long. Summer Gleeson walked in – apparently straight from the front in Smallville.  
  
"I'm working with the Planet on an exclusive report," Summer explained.  
  
Clark saw her nationwide coverage – and how the Kansas farmboy became a hero again. "Must be nice for you. My friend's in the hospital and you have your career-making story." He looked away from her.  
  
Still protecting your friend, hmm, Clark? "You do realize that the files – files implicating Luthor Corp and anyone associated with it – are still missing. Luthor has the injunction, but someday the truth will be uncovered."  
  
She sat down beside him. "The Luthors only look out for themselves, Clark. I know he's your friend, but I don't think he deserves your loyalty. What if the evidence does point to some sort of cover-up. If Lionel, or even Lex took those files, that's obstruction of justice."  
  
Clark would not accept that possibility. "Maybe he panicked. He's human. The pressure maybe was too much for him. Do you realize how alone he is? His father can't even be here!"  
  
Summer shook her head. "All I'm saying is friends should be honest to each other. Can you truly say Lex has been honest to you?"  
  
I haven't been honest with him, either, Clark admitted. Chloe returned with two coffees. Oh – it's HER. She smiled at Summer. Well, a half-grin that said 'Hi, I'm not a fan of yours. Better leave now'  
  
Summer smirked. She knew right away that Ms. Sullivan was protective of her classmate. How cute.  
  
"I'll be in touch with you, Clark. For a follow-up."  
  
I'm not looking forward to that at all, Clark thought.  
  
"So how are you heading back?" Chloe asked.  
  
"The feds said they could drop me off on their way back to Wichita. The Metropolis field office will take over the investigation from here." Clark had just about enough of big-city intrigue. Smallville, despite its size, suited his life now. "I'd better check on Lex." Then he hugged Chloe Sullivan.  
  
Chloe hugged back. Poor Clark, he's gone through so much. She went back to another sleepless night at The Daily Planet. Tomorrow's edition would be expected to set the standard in American print journalism.  
  
"With files from Chloe Sullivan," Chloe smiled.  
  
[Outside Metropolis General Hospital]  
  
Summer Gleeson walked outside to hail a cab. She turned a corner and walked into the last person she wanted to see right now.  
  
"Excuse me, miss." It was Bruce Wayne.  
  
Summer had nothing to say. Her mind was awash in memories of the past year. Interviewing Bruce in NYC. The first date at the UNICEF gala. Skiing in Lake Placid – and Bruce making hot chocolate in the lodge. 'Why don't you open up to me' she had asked mere weeks before the dreaded public spat at the Gotham Symphony. 'Summer, we need to talk' The break-up on the pier. Having to call a cab in tears. Giving Alfred a parting hug as he delivered the last of her things. 'Take care of yourself, Ms. Gleeson' he had said.  
  
"I've got work to do for the Planet," she stated.  
  
Bruce nodded. "You're ok?"  
  
"Yes. May return to Smallville later."  
  
Bruce face flinched. Great, Summer thought, another member of the Lex fan club.  
  
"Clark is my friend," Bruce said. "Let him be." Clark doesn't have to get involved in this mess.  
  
"And Lex?" Summer challenged.  
  
Bruce answered. "Let the chips fall where they may. The Luthors may have a feud with me. I have nothing against them."  
  
"For now," Summer added. She knew Bruce Wayne better than that.  
  
Bruce wouldn't bite. "I'll have a press release for GCTV by tomorrow." Is that it, Summer asked, we talk through spokesmen and PR hacks?  
  
"Alright then." Is this going to end, Summer wondered. She turned around and hailed a cab.  
  
"I'm sorry, Summer. About everything." Summer mouthed 'Me too' and turned around. He was already gone.  
  
The cab driver asked her again. "Where to, miss?"  
  
"The Daily Planet." She was on the brink of the greatest story of her career, yet all she could think of was that chilly November in New York. 'Would you care to join me at Carnegie Hall tonight?' Bruce had asked. In that one moment, she saw Bruce Wayne drop his guard. To her.  
  
She wiped a tear from her eye. Take care, Bruce. Goodbye.  
  
THE END 


End file.
